Kevin Flynn
Kevin Flynn is the main protagonist of Tron and he passes the position down to his son Sam in Tron: Legacy. He is a user who ends up in the computer world. He dies in the sequel and in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. He was portrayed by Jeff Bridges who also portrayed Roy Pulsipher in the 2013 film R.I.P.D. (Rest In Peace Department) and voiced Prince Lír in the 1982 animated film The Last Unicorn. Background Kevin Flynn's hometown is Paramus, New Jersey, where he was born near the end of the 1940s. Flynn got his doctorate from CalTech before joining ENCOM in 1979. As an up-and-coming young programmer, Flynn began developing new video games in secret. A competing ENCOM programmer named Ed Dillinger learned what Flynn was doing and stole Flynn's games. Three months later, Dillinger unveiled the games to the company without even bothering to change the names. Dillinger was quickly promoted, eventually rising to senior executive Vice President. When Flynn protested, Dillinger fired him. In 1981, Flynn founded his own establishment - appropriately named "Flynn's Arcade" - and filled it with his own creations as well as several other classic arcade machines. Flynn saw the arcade as the only way he could profit from the games that were stolen from him. Biography ''Tron'' Flynn makes several attempts to hack into the ENCOM mainframe via the terminal at his arcade, using his best hacking program - CLU - to try and obtain the evidence that will prove Dillinger's fraudulence. By this time, Dillinger has developed the Master Control Program from a chess program, to administer the ENCOM mainframe. The MCP finds the data that Flynn wants and attempts to hide it from him, even going so far as to block him from accessing the system. Flynn's actions lead Dillinger to enforce additional security by shutting down all access to the mainframe, including access for ENCOM's programmers. Among those affected was Alan Bradley, who is barred from working on his security program Tron. Unable to uncover the plagiarism personally, Flynn asks for help from his former lover and Alan's current lover, Lora Baines who decides to help Flynn get direct access to computer systems that may hold the incriminating evidence. Their plan is to have Flynn forge a Group 6 access, so that Alan can gain access to Tron again. Then, Alan will command Tron to shut down the MCP, which will in turn release Flynn's stolen file. Lora takes Flynn to her terminal in a laboratory where she has been working on an experimental laser technology that transported matter. Kevin proceeds to access the terminal, located directly in front of the laser, but is spotted by the MCP almost immediately and fired upon. As his body is broken down into digital information, Flynn finds himself transported into cyberspace, where the MCP notifies his forces of Flynn's true nature and orders Commander Sark to kill him in the games. Shortly afterwards, Flynn meets a program named Ram and is told all about the Master Control Program's rules, eventually discovering that captured conscripts are forced to play in the games. Initially unaware that he is participating in "gladiator" games, Flynn realizes the danger of his situation when he refuses to kill a fellow conscript, Crom, in a ring game. Flynn is later transported to the Game Grid to play a lightcycle game alongside Ram and Tron and exploits his knowledge of the game program to their advantage, forcing one of the MCP's gladiators to crash into the Game Grid's wall and opening up an escape route. Flynn gradually discovers that as a user, he possesses god-like powers in the computer dimension, enabling him to manipulate the world around him at will. He manages to reassemble and reactivate a destroyed Recognizer, redirects an energy transport beam after it has been sabotaged by the MCP, and even saves Yori and himself from being derezzed along with Sark's ship after Sark departs for the MCP. Although his understanding of this newfound power is still rudimentary, Flynn courageously engages the Master Control Program in person and diverts its attention long enough for Tron to disable it permanently. Its destruction returns Flynn to the real world and allows him to access the incriminating evidence he needs to depose of Dillinger, which in turn sees him promoted to the position of ENCOM CEO, and enables him to promote Alan and Lora to the board of directors. ''Tron Legacy'' In spite of all of the success and wealth his new position at ENCOM gives him, Kevin's time in the digital world changed him deeply and he becomes obsessed with returning there. To that end, he creates a digital frontier he calls the "Grid". Intended as a playground where he can experiment to his heart's content, the Grid slowly but surely becomes more complex and begins to take on a life of its own as it teams with programs of all sorts. Flynn isolates the Grid in a private server he houses in the basement of his arcade. He hides the entrance to this computer lab behind a TRON arcade game cabinet. Within the lab, Flynn sets up the digitizing laser used to send him into the system. Prior to entering the Grid each time, Flynn will run a sanity check program, as well as updating his will. Flynn takes the Tron program from ENCOM's grid and installs it in his own. Although he gets help from Tron in keeping the Grid safe, it's soon clear to Kevin that he can't be in two places at once and recreates his old hacking program CLU to watch over the digital frontier in his absence and hones it to perfection. However, the relationship between creator and creation is strained by Flynn's duties in the real world, such as being a father to his newborn son Sam. After all, in the hours or days that Flynn is away, years or decades will pass in the grid without any influence from Flynn. In 1985, Kevin's wife Jordan dies, which triggers a profound change in him. Over the following years, Kevin grows increasingly distant from his life in the real world as he devotes more and more time to his pet project and will frequently leave Sam in the care of his parents. His public behavior becomes more erratic as he begins to promote his vision of a "digital frontier to reshape the human condition." He calls for computer systems to be open and he begins giving away ENCOM software, such as a propriety operating system that Flynn names after himself. Kevin is obsessed with the connection between the human and computer worlds, and in a speech before a large crowd declares, "In there is a new world. In there is our future. In there is our destiny." Flynn also writes a book, called Digital Frontier, that spells out his beliefs. Some time in 1988, the Grid gives life to a new form of program, which Flynn dubs "Isomorphic Algorithm". Flynn believes the existence of ISOs can fundamentally improve the real world. Kevin visits Alan Bradley and tells him he has made breakthroughs in genetic algorithms and quantum teleportation that can lead to changes in science, medicine, and religion. Alan doesn't give much consideration to the claims, attributing them to his friend's eccentric nature. By 1989, Kevin disappears under what the general public considers mysterious circumstances, which in turn forces his resignation from ENCOM and leaves Bradley to take his place. Alan assumes Kevin's duties as CEO at ENCOM, but the company's profits falls, and Alan is forced to step down. The company's new leadership lays off several longtime employees and veers away from the open source philosophies Flynn espouses. This upsets Alan, who believes Flynn is off researching his digital frontier ideas and will return. Alan is partially correct. Kevin has become trapped in the grid following a surprise attack by the now-renegade CLU, who comes to see the ISOs as an imperfection within the system. When Flynn continues to protect the ISOs, Clu turns against him and Tron, seizes control of the Grid and begins to eradicate the ISOs. Tron is able to distract Clu enough to allow Flynn to escape, but Flynn is unable to return to the portal between the Grid and the outside world. It closes, and since it can only be opened from the outside, Flynn is trapped. Now in exile from the system he has created, Flynn attempts to lead a counterattack against Clu's rule. Since the 2 are connected, however, Flynn's resistance only provides Clu with more power, and it becomes evident that the only way Flynn can contain Clu is to reintegrate him, an act that will destroy them both. CLU continues his genocide against the ISOs, until only one remains. CLU's Black Guards has cornered this final ISO, named Quorra. One of Kevin's last surviving and loyal monitor programs Anon sacrifices himself to assist Flynn in rescuing her. Together, Flynn and Quorra retreat to his hideaway in the Outlands, far from TRON City. Realizing he can't defeat CLU, Flynn remains in exile, training Quorra to support him while adopting a zen lifestyle in a quest for inner peace to come to grips with what he considers his personal failure in allowing CLU to control the Grid and subverts his dream. 20 years later After over two decades of living in exile in the Outlands, Flynn is surprised out of his meditations by Quorra bringing a guest to him. His now-adult son Sam as been lured into the system and captured by Clu's forces, later to be rescued by Quorra, and now stands before him. During their reunion, Kevin tells the story of CLU's betrayal and how Sam's arrival has opened the portal again for a millicycle (about 8 hours). When Sam suggests that they leave for the portal, Kevin disagrees. The elder Flynn knows that such a move will play into Clu's plan and insists that remaining in hiding is the safest option. With the argument still unresolved, father and son retire for the night. When Kevin awakes, Sam is already gone, heading back to TRON City in Kevin's old Light Cycle. Kevin has no choice but to follow his son. When Kevin and Quorra finally catch up to Sam at the End of Line Club, Sam is fighting for survival in the midst of a pitched battle with CLU's Black Guards. Kevin and Quorra intervene, however Quorra is left critically injured, and worse; Kevin's own identity disc is snatched from his back as they retreat. Kevin decides that his son's earlier idea of racing for the portal will have the best merits, and so he and Sam steal aboard a Solar Sailer that is headed in the direction of the portal. Once on board, Kevin sets about repairing the damage to Quorra's code. He speaks at length of the complexity of the code, explaining Quorra's status as the last of the ISOs. He also uses the opportunity to exchange stories of the years that he has been unable to spend with his son. The journey to the portal is cut short, however, when their transport docks with a huge Carrier Ship that has unexpectedly appeared in their path. They hide and watch as hundreds of programs are unloaded into the bowels of this colossal craft. CLU's plan to create an invasion force soon becomes apparent. Before they can do anything more, they see Rinzler moving towards them. Quorra hands her identity disc to Kevin and breaks from cover in a bid to lead Rinzler away. Kevin recognizes Rinzler as Tron, corrupted into serving CLU. Helpless to aid Quorra, Kevin and Sam retreat to formulate a new plan. Sam will recover his father's identity disc, while Kevin procures a Light Jet fast enough to escape in. Kevin is relieved when they rendezvous at the captured Light Jet, that Sam has also rescued Quorra along the way. The trio are making good progress in escaping to the portal when they find themselves pursued by CLU, Rinzler, and a quartet of Black Guards in small personal Light Jets of their own. During the protracted dogfight that ensues, Kevin and Rinzler catch sight of each other at close range, sparking Rinzler to remember his mission as Tron. Tron eventually shakes off the shackles of CLU's dominance altogether and turns his attack on Clu, allowing Kevin and his younger allies to escape. Out of Sam's view, Kevin secretly switches his identity disc to Quorra. Upon reaching the portal they discover CLU has survived Tron's attack and finds his way to the portal before them. Kevin and CLU confront each other, with Kevin trying to explain that he's been wrong, and CLU still arguing in favor of system-wide perfection. Then CLU attacks, sparking another brief conflict. With CLU blocking Kevin's way to the portal, and Sam and Quorra close to escaping, Clu turns to Kevin to retrieve his prize — the identity disc that will unlock the way to the real world. When CLU learns that Kevin in fact possesses Quorra's disc, he runs to the portal to stop the younger pair from escaping. Although Sam tries to turn back for his father, Kevin insists that he'll go and take Quorra with him, hopeful that her existence will change the outside world. Kevin then taps his power to block Clu from reaching Sam and Quorra. Dragging Clu back by force of will, Kevin pulls the program back into himself in a bid to finally destroy it. Reintegrating Clu, Kevin sacrifices himself in order to save his son and Quorra. A huge blast erupts from the reintegration, consuming the portal and destroying the carrier ship that is drawing in close overhead. Abilities External Links *https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Kevin_Flynn?action=edit&section=3 - taken from Disney Fandom. *https://tron.fandom.com/wiki/Kevin_Flynn - taken from Tron Fandom. Navigation Category:Live Action Heroes Category:Genius Category:Deceased Category:Kingdom Hearts Heroes Category:Movie Heroes Category:Pacifists Category:Twin/Clone Category:Heroic Creator Category:Male Category:Parents Category:Fighter Category:Martyr Category:Friend of a Villain Category:Businessmen Category:Protector of Innocence Category:Betrayed Category:Crossover Heroes Category:Cartoon Heroes Category:TV Show Heroes Category:Mentor Category:Selfless Category:Tragic Category:Loyal Category:Honorable Category:Stalkers Category:Theatrical Heroes Category:Sensational Six Heroes